The Meeting Place
by crhblack
Summary: The Green Lantern goes to visit an old friend. This installment is part of a series called Of Birds and Foxes.


The reflection in the mirror told him everything he wanted to know. No matter how hard he tried, some habits just don't die easily. She told him to relax a little, to be not so formal and hard nosed. He laughed at that notion. Even now, he made sure that his black leather coat flowed down just right. His wingtips were polished so that his reflection in them rivaled the looking glass before him. Even the ring on his left hand flashed as impressively as the green talisman on the opposite. He shook his head as he smiled lightly. Some things don't change.

"Dad?"

The smile cracked as he turned to face another reflection of himself. This one, however was about two inches shorter and not quite as broad across the shoulders. The smaller version walked closer.

"Dad? Are you going again?"

"Yeah, I have to."

"Can't I go with you?"

"No, son, this is a solo trip. I won't be gone long. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

The younger voice, not quite as deep but still very rich for his age, grumbled. "Awright. But you know how Momma is when she gets up and you're gone. She's gonna claw my eyes out for not waking her!"

The father snorted in mirth. "You'll learn that it's better to let her sleep and wake up on her own than to disturb her beauty rest. Trust me on that one, son!"

The older man deeply regarded the younger's bright face. A wealth of pride welled up in the father's eyes as he laid a hand on a strong shoulder. His son's shining brown eyes met his with some expectancy.

"Dad? You're going to see that old friend again aren't you? You go about the same time every year."

The man pursed his lips tightly and nodded. "Yes, I am."

The boy shook his head. "How come your friend never comes by to visit or we never go to his house?"

His father looked down to the side for a moment then took off his dark shades. "It's a long story." He paused and gazed intently back at his firstborn. "Your mother is very proud of you, John. Always remember that."

The man-child twisted his mouth. "I know. She always calls me the second man in her life. Does Momma know your friend?"

He replaced his shades. "Tell your mother I'll be back before dinner." As he walked to the window, "John, I'll take you to see my friend on the next go 'round." A bright green aura surrounded the black draped form exiting the room.

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"I've been doing good. The League just revamped its roster. I'm now in charge of deep space operations."

The air was crisp, and the sun hung in a cloudless sky. Birdsong echoed the passing of winter to spring. Children could be heard playing not too far in the distance as they enjoyed a week away from school.

"I could never fool you. Could I? Yeah, something's on my mind. It's John. I can't believe he's fifteen already!"

A slight breeze made the budding tree branches dance. A young couple walked by him. The man clutched his lady tightly to him and whispered softly in her ear bringing a cheerful smile to her lips.

"He's so grown up now. He can almost look me in the eye. I brought a photo of the three of us taken last year." He reached into his wallet and pulled out the family portrait. Three happy faces met his eyes. His finger gently stroked the face of the lovely woman whose hand gripped his.

"She's doing great. It took her a while to recover from our last fight against Doomsday. She always has to be the tough one and take on someone solo. Sounds a lot someone we know!"

His laugh echoed for a few seconds followed by a few moments of silence. A squirrel scurried across his path. It's cheek pouches bulged from the recovered harvest of winter.

"I'm going to bring John the next time. I think he's ready to start accompanying me on some trips. The more I look at him, the more I see his mother's eyes. I reminded him that his mother is proud of him. I know she is."

His right hand dropped a small bundle to the ground. "These are you favorites. I never forgot how much you loved them." He took off the dark glasses and viewed the landscape around him.

"I'm glad you pushed me to move on. I'm more at peace than I've ever been. We celebrate fourteen years this year. Yeah, we still fight like cats and dogs, but we more than make up for it later. She filled that missing void in my life. I have you to thank."

The shadows grew longer as the sun lowered behind him. His own shade grew to dim the area in front of him. Replacing his glasses, the man knelt down to one knee.

"I better get going. I promised to take Shayera to the movies. Same time, same place?"

He left the meeting place feeling renewed like always after their conversation. Behind him, a golden beam illuminated an ornate piece of pink granite.

**Mari Jiwe Macabe Stewart**

**Heroine, Wife, Mother**


End file.
